Summary: This paper aims to present and analyse data on entrepreneurs from the town of Svishtov during the Bulgarian Revival period and a following the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878.
I will focus on entrepreneurship and the role of social and human capital in entrepreneurial activity. Special attention is paid to the modernization of the economic behavior of Svishtov residents.
I have used various published and unpublished primary sources in order to shed light on the issues raised.
The merchants of Svishtov displayed a unique mindset during the “long” 19th century. They accumulated the financial resources they needed. At the same time, they learnt how to use the tools of modern commerce.
In the years immediately following Liberation, they continued to run a suc¬cessful business, largely based on the assets they had inherited from the previous period. On the other hand, they did not invest their capital in industrial enterprises or joint-ventures. They continued to live with the mindset that they could enrich themselves through intermediary trade, rather than by radically changing their mentality and working methods.
Keywords: Svishtov, merchant entrepreneurs, mentality, economic behavior, “long” 19th century
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